Message forming sea marker



J. DE MENT MESSAGE FORMING SEA MARKER ug. 22, E950 Filed Jan. 20, 1947 Patentecl Aug. 22, 1950 UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE MESSAGE FORMING SEA MARKER A Jack De Ment, Portland, Oreg. ,7

Application January 20, 1947, Serial No. 723,192

9 Claims.

The present invention relates to an improved sea marker and means for producing same which bears and forms upon employment a message or signal upon the surface of the water which is capable of observation and intelligent interpretation from a distance.

It is an object of the present invention to make available an improvement in the sea marking art whereby signals, messages, codes or a large number and wide variety of intelligence may be produced upon, within, or near the surface of a body of water such as the ocean.

It is among the objects of the invention to overcome the limitations of the present sea marking and sea signaling via distinctive water marking by fluorescent and/or colored compositions like dyestuffs, by making practicable an article and composition for sea marking that possesses the virtues and merits of forming upon employment a message capable of observation and interpretation from a distance, say several miles in the air.

It is another object to produce for military, naval, novelty and entertainment or other purposes, means by which the surface of the water can be distinctively altered so that a message or code or intelligence can be conveyed.

It is also an object to provide greater versatility and applicability of the superior kinds of sea marking compositions or compounds such as sodium fluoresceinate or uranine which possess inherent lack of versatility due to a single visual characteristic, which lack of versatility is unfortunate in view of the fact that the other properties, such as fiuorotinctorial and chromotinctorial powers may be far superior to other substances now available.

It is also an object to take advantage of the sea marking compound called uranine or sodium fluoresceinate which inherently possesses the yellow-green color and fluorescent characteristic that corresponds to greatest relative visibility which theory sets on any color other than yellowgreen and therefore any substance possessing any color other than yellow-green. Thus, it would appear that a paramount difliculty in securing a dyestufi or other compound having the visual characteristics of uranine, other than color, would lie in the inherent and unchangeable limitations which the theory and knowledge of relative visibility sets on any color other than yellowgreen. Further, in this vein, the spectral sensitivity curve for the eye is approximately a Gaussian or skewed one, which mean for example that orange or green colored dyes would appear about half as intense to the light-adapted eye as a dye like uranine which shows yellow-green.

It is another object to provide for naval and similar signaling and intelligence purposes a sea marker which forms upon use vari-colored areas upon the water, such characteristic not now being provided by any single sea marker, and produceable only by the employment of a plurality of, single sea markers or devices.

It is among the objects of the present invention to provide for naval and similar signaling and intelligence purposes a sea or water or liquid marker which forms upon use 1) a sea or water mark which is invisible in visible light but visibly fluorescent in ultraviolet light or filtered nearultraviolet, commonly known as black light, which is irradiated thereby, or, (2) a sea or water or other liquid marker which possesses one color in visible light and yet another color under invisible ultraviolet light, or, (3) a sea marker which possesses a combination of visible light color and ultraviolet light color (fluorescent) characteristics, the latter of which may be either visible or invisible in visible light, as may be desired in a given application.

Referring to the accompanying schematic figures which are illustrative only of the principal features of the present invention:

Figure 1 illustrates one preferred design and over-all form of my invention, in the shape of an ellipse or at least ovoid, wherein the arrows 2-2 designate that axis of the invention parallel to the normal or perpendicular,

Figure 2 schematically shows an end-on or cross-section view of the bodily structure and interior of the invention,

Figure 3 schematically shows a similar internal structure View but at right angles to that of Figure 2, that is, a side-wise View,

Figure 4 illustrates certain of the novel features of the arrangement, structure and positioning of the sea marking composition, chemical or dyestufi comprising an integral part of the present invention, and,

Figure 5 shows one form of the present invention in actual use, such as towed behind a small boat with the invention riding on the surface of or just beneath the water.

Briefly, the present invention resides in the formation of layers of sea marking material, such as will be hereinafter described in full, upon other layers of the same or similar material with or without the same properties or layers of material lacking given sea marking characteristics but are nevertheless of value in expediting the prohas dissolved off or has been released into or "suganand finally, a second patch corresponding to the uranine'layer spaced apart from the first 'by'the layer of glue or sugar'or the like. Such an effect is made linear by virtue of rectilinear motionof the'body comprising this plurality of layers of materials. Moreover, by varying the thickness of the layers of colored or fluorescent or other distinctive sea marking material, which amounts to the sea marker material content of suchalayer, and assuming uniform rectilinear motion, thin layers will produce small or short areas upon the surface of the water, whereas thicker layers containing more material Will result in" larger or longer areas upon the water,

assuming uniform motion.

Thus, it c'an'be understood that'thin layers of sea markingmaterial,intrspacedby say' equiva- "lent layers of non-sea marking material'will dissolve off in sequence to correspond to a series-of dots inthe Continental Code, and that thick layers'ofsea marking material, likewise interspaced, by say equivalent layers of non-sea marking imaterial will dissolve off in sequence to correspond to a'series of clashes in the Morse or other code, whenever the article comprising a Qntij uous arrangement of such layers is moved through or upon the'surface of the water.

As an illustration, suppose the present invention is desired in a form to convey or produce the signal SOS or Dot-dot-dot-dash-dash-dashdot dot-dot, then the sequence of layers in the 'body of the present invention, outer-most or top to inner most or lower, would be as follows:

Layer Number From Top or Over-all Surface Layer Code Meaning 1 Thin SM .Dot

NSM Space Thin SM Dot S l NSM Space 'Thin SM Dot NSM Space 7 Thick SM Dash NSM Space- 9 Thick SM Dash "0 N SM Space 11; Thick SM Dash NSM Space 13 Thin SM Dot NSM Space ,Thin SM Dot S NSM Space 17 Thin SM Dot wherein in the above-given table the letters SM stand for sea marking material and the letters NSM stand for non-sea marking material, examples of both kinds being hereinafter described in full.

features of a simpler form of the present inven 'tion.

Referring now to the figures: Figure 1 shows one preferred design and overall form of my invention, in an ovoid or ellipsoid shape, "wherein the arrows 22 indicate that axis of the invention parallel to the perpendicular and at right angles to the surface of the water o'r'liquid upon'which or through which the invention is moved either rectilinearly, circularly or in any other form of movement or motion that may, be necessary to success in its application and use.

Figure 2 illustrates an end-0n or cross-section vie'w o'f the body structure and interior of the form of the invention shown as Figure 1. The cartel-"fines in Figure '2 desi nated by the numerals 33 indicate the symmetry of the body ofthe invention taken from an end-on View. Likewise "in Figure 2; the letter. A designates a care or cehter or'forming-expediting material of a wide variety of substances including cork, wood, rubber, metal or plastic, as hereinafter described; the numerals f, and 2 designate successive layers of sea marking (SM) and nonsea'markmg (NSM materials or compositions, a'sfset out in detail hereinafter, and described and shown in more detail in Figure 4 which is described following:

to "acore material, that described by the same letter in Figure 2, and the numerals 4- 4 indicate the sequence of layers of material upon the core A'that are-shown in detail in Figure '4.

:Fligur e it illustrates the detail enclosed by: l-- l in Figure 3, wherein the numerals I refer to a relatively thin-layer of sea marking or sea marker 1dr materialfll to the same or similar or analo'gous'SM material as described in detail hereinafter, where suitable combinations, variations and choices of SM material are had if desired, but of greater thickness; 2 to non-sea marking or sea markenor'NSlVI material of a nature hereinafter disclosed.

Figure 5'shows one mode of application of the present invention, 'though definitely not the only one. InFigure 5 the invention is towed in direction Cbehind a small boat or raft or the like for employment,and is'secured to a rope or wire or other towing means y a knot or link or bolt and nut at B.

This securing and placing in motion of the present invention is preferably accomplished for most applicationsby towing behind a self-propelled waterve'hicla raftor the like, and in Fig- 3, within the core A, there is illustrated a simple male-female tube and screw means Well known in the art for the purpose of attaching the invention to a tow line or the'like. 'Ins'tea'd of'such means, a strong wire or sheet of metal or other attachable member ma extend beyond the outer surface of the present invention from core A, and be secured therein.

The applicant does not exclude other means of placing the present invention in application: Representative of these include fabricating the present invention so that it may comprise the warhead or part of the warhead of a water-traversing torpedo of the usual kind. Such a; torpedo may be designed for launching or release from a small boat or raft or from aircraft. Likewise, such propellent means may be utilized for application of the present invention to the surface of the water; to the region just beneath the surface; the motion may be in a tangential trajectory originating at the surface or in the air, or from any desired depth beneath the surface of the water; in addition, such a trajectory may comprise perpendicular ascension or descension. In connection with the design, configuration, geometry and size of the present invention, wide latitude is possible, depending upon the specific purpose for which the invention is to be had. Thus, the present invention may be in the form of a sphere, an oblate-spheroid, ellipsoid or ovoid, square, rectangular or the like. It may even be cylindrical or comprise departures in design and geometry to conform to streamlining, and designs which permit greater surface to be washed or affected by water. In every case it is desirable to have the layer of SM or NSM contiguous.

Likewise, the intelligence conveyed by employment of the invention may be widely varied. In its simpler form merely two layers of uranine or one of uranine and another of a dissimilar SM, interspaced by a NSM may be employed. Moreover, given amounts of SM may be employed to advantage for dots and dashes, say one half to one pound per layer for a dot and twice this amount for a, dash, or similar proportion; or, by regulating the spacing between the dots and dashes. It is understood that the SM and NSM layers may be of any thicknesses and the variation between thicknesses limited only by the application and size of the invention.

The present day sea marker comprises powdered uranine or sodium fiuoresceinate which, for use, is sprinkled or poured upon the surface of the water. This dyestuif spreads over the waters surface, often reaching an area of an acre or more, coloring it a bright yellow or yellowgreen. The color possesses a vividness which is due to the fluorescent characteristic of uranine.

By way of note, uranine is one of the most powerfully fluorescent substances known, one part in tens of millions of parts of water being visible to the eye. Such a sea marker makes it possible for those in a life-raft to place out upon the waters surface for observation a signal that can be seen upwards of eight miles distance from an airplane during the daytime, and for several miles on a brightly moonlit night.

Substitutes for the sea marker have been proposed at various times, but none has found the wide application of uranine. However, for purposes of the present invention substances other than the sodium salt of fluorescein can be employed for specific and special uses. These include any of the alkali metal fluoresceinates, lithium and potassium fiuoresceinates, as well as that of sodium. The alkali metal fluoresceinates are soluble in water, though other metallic derivatives usually are not and are therefore generally useless. Still other compounds include either the yellow amorphous or the red-crystalline-green iridescent form of fluorescein itself,

both of which are sparingly soluble in water, this fact enabling a slow solution of the material during use so as to insure against immediate solution and too quick a dissipation, making for a longer lifetime of the signal.

Fluorescein (not fluorescin) is dihydroxyfluoran mixed with hydroxy-o-carboxy-phenylfluorone and is designated in the Colour Index of the Society of Dyers and Colourists (England) as No. 766, commonly CI No. 766. The sodium salt is uranine. In England uranine is often called fluorescein. It is variously stated to be visible with the unaided eye in water solutions of between 1:10 million and 1:200 million.

The dye known as chrysoline (CI No. 767) as well as various halogenated relatives and derivatives of CI No. 767 can be employed in the present invention, as described subsequently, though these are not always preferred. The latter include eosine (CI No. 768), eosine BS (CI No. 771), erythrosine (CI No. 772), phloxine (CI No. 774), rose bengal (CI No. 777), though it must be emphasized that certain of these possess color only, and those that do possess fluorescence in addition to color do so in lesser degree in general than uranine or fluorescein, and therefor may be suited to special applications only.

Practically any of the common water-soluble dyestuffs possessing great tinctorial values can be employed in the present invention as bearers of color, should this be desired instead of color and fluorescence as in the case of uranine, and representative dyes include the following (all identified by their Colour Index or CI number): methyl violet (CI Nos. 680 and 681), nigrosine (CI No. 865), rhodamine (CI No. 749) and so on. The dyestuff called nigrosine (CI No. 865) is nearly black in water solution and has virtues as a so-called shark-repellent.

In the above-given list of examples of sea marking substances which can be employed in the present invention for water marking, one important class is not thus far illustrated. This class comprises fluorescent substances which are lacking in color in visible light but are brightly fluorescent in ultraviolet light. Such compounds that can be employed include: beta-methyl umbelliferone, colorless water-soluble fiavones and the like. It is preferred that beta-methyl umbelliferone be employed in utilization of this phase or form of the present invention.

Moreover, all of the afore-mentioned substances which have been given as more or less typical of practicability in connection with the present invention have the common property of solubility in water. While the present applicant prefers the employment of water-soluble substances, he does not exclude other substances which may prove of value and which are not soluble in water. These include such luminescent and/or colored or colorless substances as the following: alkaline earth, zinc and cadmium derivatives of 8-hydroxyquinoline, white substances in an exceedingly fine form such as titanium dioxide, metallic soaps, barium sulfate and aluminum oxide, elemental substances like iodine and graphite, both of which would possess utility other than for conveying messages or codes upon the waters surface at very great distances but which may prove of value in specialty work and scientific studies in the hydraulics and hydrodynamics laboratories. .Also exceptionally thin flakes or particles of broken sheets of glass which may or may not be mirrored or of the so-called glassform well known to the art (to provide buoynew-ma be n li sie i i hiaai serye M over; particles dispersible into or, upon wa Wh h-ma r se t st v l an. visible light or in invisible radiat micro-waves or radar or ultrason include coated base ,medialike cor rubber, which may or may. notfloa als like aluminum, or even excepti nal ly thin like those of aluminum.

In addition, otherwsubstances include, alkali metals like sodium sheet or particle form as pointed out hereinafter, or of; reactive elements; 01% o -wed l e. W ite hqs herus Ob ious when such materials are employed in-the present invention the article must be suitably stored say in water in the case of white phosphorus and;

kerosene in the caseof alkali metals.

Moreover, the insoluble; phosphors, which are I not decomposed overly quicklyby the actionof water canbeemployed forcertain special appli;

cations of the present invention: these includQ; both fluorescent and phosphorescent substances and visible light emitting and infrared light em-it ting and ultraviolet lightemitting phosphors or compounds such as alkaline earth tungstates with or without metallic impurity, 'e. g. lead, activa e tion, zinc or beryllium silicates (with-manganeseactivation), alkaline earth sulfide; phosphors; platinocyanides, cadmium sulfide and so on.-

It is apparent that all materials which are-in:

soluble in water should be-in small particle form or in very thin sheets so that they can float upon:

thewaters surface after dispersion or Willunfl dergo only slow settling at most. Manydepar;

tures may be made in choiceof materials of an insoluble nature and compositefmaterials and mixtures can be utilized in ordento securebuoy; ancy and the like.

cork and light wood as substrateor, base;,elements upon which the essentialingredient may be carried. The formulation and manufacture;

of sucharticles can be carried out by, methods and means well-known in the art, :and the pres;

ent application claims nothing distinctiveor novel in this regard.

Ihe fabrication of the present invention may be accomplished by several meana all-of which, are .more or less common and, well-known in h m s 9i: p omul e: ing buoyancy include the use of rubber; and glass foam or minerals like pumice, andmaterials like the art. In general, there are two, phases; to; i

theproduction of the present inventior 1-: 1').

Preparing the sea marking canon-seamarkiniy material or composition in a form; so that .;tl'ie,; material will fullflll its designated function upon;

employment but at the same time will -be sum;

ciently durable and substantialand possessother. properties so that the invention ,itself can be cheaply and quickly made on a largescale-a so that the product will withstand shock and (2) Th sc n; forming of. the invention, itself and espec ally-the formation of layers or, lamellae,.of theidesired size and configuration. Each-for these. plriase sl rough handling and the like,

can be dealt with as follows 1) There are-two; general types of materials; which are employed in the fabrication .of, the present: invention: (a) the sea markingmaterial and, (b) the non-sea marking materialz 8?..- in a fused form or bee ployed ,for purppses pf maki Mni ame nt inven, oai rh tree s corresp n insi n eri g. o the mesa Q -S rker,- aierie c n uch reee ti rowe er! re ot. Poss se ifha- Qramwr ent f: he; e tm eee terial. uranine, or, fluorescein, so 'som 0th means. mu e. us d:iq ac i re,head n s. Lhars o d ha loc s. -ma s rs yersio 1 ma p fluq iesesinaor. n v t d W1? ea rk- 7 s; m er e 1, a a rm d r m th o d ed i J?Ia ree afew lper cent or less by weight ,of glue ,.;wa t soluble starch, gelatine, agan; or-fsugar to, th pqwgier d y tndworkiust f PM. ate t m tur ai ai.. a; h r, s ightly. wet -mass s, q medt t s-i lowedr sidr t ha i ens to a eie. r wm a t ma l h s r n thde ende p n he;

moun of te o b e: ndin .l entr se Such masses of sea malkilig material releaseJh active agent into the water at a rate which de-f pends upon "the natureand amount of;.--binding; agent employed in forming the ,mass Gluetis, a ,preferred and. economical material,

Certain of the dyes, chemicahcompounds, and in general the sea marking materials can bej formed into masses or layers by the application; of pr s ur nd t er t e e e mel n de qm q n oin U n nei e msot be amenable to such a treatment, since -it, decom; poses if the temperature exceeds several hundred degrees.

Numerous methods of bonding or binding and; forming masses of materia1 are available, from; the knowledge of the present art, and nothing exceptionally novel is claimed for this. aspect (b) The. water-soluble bonding. for, binding, agent which is usedforforming the sea,mar,king layer or mass can be used.informing the,non sea; marking layer or mass. As with the binderfor case (a) the, only requisite is; that the binder must be more or less, soluble in water, Tl;1 u s,,for; such,pu rposes a thin coating of animal glue, gelatine, starchor sugar, from solution or from a a molten mass, ofthe v substance should ;its char;,- acteristics permit; such a pro cedure serves quite satisfactorily. In forming suchlayers itissug gested for example, the certain of .-the knowledge; ofthecandwmaking art be, relied, upon, for int this artit isoften necessary tojorm an article} with successive layers ofcandy orsugar.

The same treatment holds for bothwatersoluble and water-insoluble. seamarkingfage herein. disclosed and described. Wetting agents. ad yff rm kefAe h may be ad d dihe, compositions, by means well known, in thefart toenhance water action,

(2) In the. actual; forming of the. invention,v itself, I prefer the ,use of a core, central, or, center basematerial, indicated ,by theJette'r AinrFigure's 2 and. 3, .upon which the layers "of .SM an NSM, may be sequentially formed in the,rever se .of the manner, inlwhichthey .areto'be released. Such, a C re, r center material, A, lmaybegori. some, lighter; than water substance, like cork or pine. or; balsam wood, orit may. consistof adurablerubber. bladderinfiated tothe desired sizelwitha 'gasflike a helium or stuffed with. pieces ,of cork ,orkapok,

(a) Inv formingv layers of seav marking material ain u ancesee inek e W ll k chemical and physical properties can be utilized orsimplya light, gas-tightaluminuin can.

Howeivenfit is pointed outithat the core of-the invention, A, is optional, and depends upon t form, of the: (invention and the preferences .a reguirements in,themanufactlirfiof v ivenkj' or design and sizeof the present invention:

. 9 r In forming the layers of SM and NSM material upon the core, several methods well known in the art can be employed. These are not novel and include such representative ones as follows: (I) Dipping in a sufliciently thin mixture or solution or mass of SM and NSM until the layer has been built to a desired thickness; (II) handapplication of thick, pliable and plastic masses of the undried and unbonded SM or NSM; (III) placing the core material or a small block or sphere or ovoid block of the innermost material, say comprised of SM, into a centrifugal coating machine which revolves said core in the presence of the coatable SM or NSM material and results in the forming of a layer of either SM or NSM; (IV) the pre-fabrication by molding or similar means of either SM and/or NSM by the usual means so that shells of each layer material are formed, say as one-half of the body of the in-r p vention (corresponding to one layer), and then the assembling by hand or machine by merely nesting the various said pre-formed layers or shells together according to sequence and size, and finally treating the outer-most one with a coating of binding agent that is thin but at the same time will hold all the shells together and prevent their breaking apart; (V) the layers of SM or NSM may be formed in sequence by merely painting a thick, viscid mixture or solution of SM or NSM upon previous layers of the same or different materials or core, A, with a brush or applying them with a mechanical spray-gun or machine until a layer of suitable thickness of SM or NSM containing mass or quantity is formed. In each application it is recognized that thorough drying is necessary before the subsequent layer can be applied or formed by this and similar means, and infrared or other heat drying means can be employed eflicaciously.

As will be apparent to those acquainted with the art, each of these illustrative forming or invention-producing procedures has its advantages and disadvantages, depending upon the materials being worked with.

I claim:

1. A sea marking device comprising a consolidated solid body of concentric layers of sea marking material and water dissoluble filling material, whereby upon passage of water over the said body the said layers are sequentially released from the surface of the body and the release of the sea marking material is spaced by the release of the filling material, the thickness of the layers comprising the sea marking material corresponding to the sea marking produced in the movement of the water over the body, and the thickness of the layers of filling material corresponding to the space produced between the release of the sea marking material.

2. An apparatus for conveying Water borne intelligence comprising a mass of laminated, concentric layers of dissoluble sea marking material and dissoluble filler material, the said mass having a central core member, the said layers being sequentially dissoluble inwardly from the surface of the mass upon movement of the mass through water, whereby to successively release the said materials comprising the layers, the release of the sea marking material being spaced by the release of the filler material, such that in the release of a plurality of layers of filler material a spaced succession of sea markings is produced upon the water.

3. An apparatus for conveying water borne intelligence comprising mounted upon a core memher a consolidated body of laminated layers of sea marking material and dissoluble filler material, the said layers being concentrically arranged upon the core member, the said core member having means for placing the said apparatus in communication with means for moving the apparatus through a body of water, the said layers being sequentially dissoluble inwardly from the surface of the body upon movement of the apparatus through water, whereby to successively release the said materials comprising the layers, the release of the sea marking material being spaced by the release of the said filler material, such that in the release of a plurality of layers a filler-spaced succession of sea markings is formed upon the water.

4; An apparatus in the form of a spheroid block for producing distinctive sea markings comprising a body of separate layers of sea marking means and water dissoluble means, the said layers having a concentric arrangement inwardly from the surface of the said body, whereby upon passage of the apparatus through water the said layers are released successively from the body, with the release of the sea marking means spaced by the release of the water dissoluble means, the thickness of the layers comprising the said dissoluble means being of uniform water dissoluble filler material content, and the thickness of the layers of the said sea marking means being of material content at least the same as the said filler, so as to convey upon release a marking corresponding to a dot in code, and the sea marking means being of material content a multiple of the content of the said filler, so as to convey upon release a marking corresponding to a dash in code, whereby upon the successive release of a plurality of layers into water a spaced series of dot-and-dash coded sea markings is formed.

5. A sea marking signal device characterized by a solid body of a series of concentric layers of fluorescein sea marking material and water dissoluble, substantially colorless filling material, whereby upon movement of water over the device the said layers are released successively from the surface of the said body with the intermittent release of sea marking material spaced by the release of the said filling material.

6. A sea marking device characterized by a body member and a core member therefor, the said body member comprising a series of concentric layers of luminescent material and water dissoluble material, said dissoluble material being non-luminescent, whereby upon movement of the said device over the surface of a body of water the layers are released successively from the surface of the said body member, whereby to sequentially release the luminescent material spaced by the release of the non-luminescent material.

7. A sea marking device characterized by a body member and a core member therefor, the said body member comprising a series of concentric layers of dyestufi and water dissoluble, substantially colorless material, whereby upon movement of the said device over the surface of a body of water the layers are released successively from the surface of the body member, whereby to sequentially release the dyestufi spaced by the release of the dissoluble material.

8. A sea marking device characterized by a body member and a core member therefor, the said body member comprising a series of concentric layers of radiation absorbing material 

